219k views
4 votes
Mass (kg) Force (N)

5 25
10 50
15 75
20 100


A student was trying to find the relationship between mass and force. He placed four different masses on a table and pulled them using a spring scale. The table shows the different masses used in the experiment and the force required to pull each mass.

The student concluded that more force was required to pull heavier objects. What comment would you make regarding his conclusion?
Responses

A No clear relation can be observed between mass and force from the data.No clear relation can be observed between mass and force from the data.

B There is a direct proportion between the mass and force listed in the table.There is a direct proportion between the mass and force listed in the table.

C Gravity should have been taken into account while performing the experiment.Gravity should have been taken into account while performing the experiment.

D There is an inverse proportion between the mass and force listed in the table.There is an inverse proportion between the mass and force listed in the table.

User Mgalgs
by
6.8k points

1 Answer

1 vote

The student's conclusion that more force is required to pull heavier objects is supported by the data in the table. Each time the mass increases, the force required to pull the mass also increases proportionally. Here's what can be inferred from the data:

- When the mass is 5 kg, the force is 25 N.

- When the mass is doubled to 10 kg, the force is also doubled to 50 N.

- This pattern continues consistently through the data set.

This proportionality suggests a linear relationship where the force is directly proportional to mass. In physics, this behavior is expected according to Newton's second law of motion, which states that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). If the same acceleration is applied for each case (assuming the acceleration due to the spring scale is constant), the relationship between force and mass would be direct and linear.

Therefore, the correct response is:

B) There is a direct proportion between the mass and force listed in the table.

User Lewi Uberg
by
7.8k points